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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 2 |
| 1876 | 8 |
| 1877 | 10 |
| 1878 | 4 |
| 1880 | 3 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 7 |
| 1884 | 6 |
| 1885 | 5 |
| 1886 | 5 |
| 1887 | 4 |
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1889 | 11 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 5 |
| 1892 | 18 |
| 1893 | 27 |
| 1894 | 19 |
| 1895 | 18 |
| 1899 | 6 |
| 1903 | 2 |
| 1909 | 2 |
170 stories matching declin
- The Great Potato Bust of 1894
Farmers hold out for higher prices, only to watch the market collapse as California shipments flood in.
- Coal Exports Decline as Industry Shifts
Seattle's coal industry faces a slump, prompting local mine owners to lobby for protectionist tariffs against Australian imports.
- The Tragic End of a Visionary
Captain R. W. De Lion, a prominent figure in regional shipping and a former Port Townsend mayor, takes his own life in Seattle after a period of declining health and financial strain.
- The Boom and Bust of the Australian Lumber Trade
A look at the rise of Puget Sound timber exports to Australia and why the financial collapse in the colonies is hitting Washington mills hard.
- The War That Shook Seattle’s Wallet: How European Conflict Spiked Wheat Prices
While the rest of the world braced for war in the Balkans, Seattle merchants watched their profits soar as panic buying drove wheat prices to historic highs.
- Denied Entry: The Ongoing Exclusion
The arrival of Chinese travelers on the O.W. Elder highlights the precarious legal reality faced by Chinese residents in the Pacific Northwest during the exclusion era.
- The Tragic End of Seattle’s Second-Born White Son
Austin A. Bell, a wealthy real estate developer and son of one of the city's founders, ends his life in a downtown office, haunted by the specter of his father’s mental decline.
- Carpenters Plan Strike for Shorter Hours
Local woodworkers demand a nine-hour workday without a reduction in pay.
- Railroad Giant Declares Bankruptcy
The Northern Pacific Railroad has been placed into receivership, signaling a major shift in Northwest transit and land development.
- The Tragedy of a Carpenter's Decline
A sick and destitute man finds himself unable to keep up union dues as he battles consumption in Seattle.
- The Delegate Who Stalled the State’s Legal Progress
How a stubborn stand on woman suffrage paralyzed Washington Territory’s legislative agenda in the halls of D.C.
- Ballard's Mayor Refused to Pay a Court Judgment. The Judge Wanted Him in Court.
Mayor Matthew Dow declined to issue a warrant for J. F. Thornton's judgment against the city; a superior court ordered him to appear and explain or face punishment.
- Committee Upholds Northern Pacific Railroad Land Grant
A government committee weighs in on whether the Northern Pacific Railroad forfeited its massive land grant by failing to meet construction deadlines.
- The True Cost of the Eight-Hour Day
As 1886 labor strikes roil the nation, local analysis weighs the temporary gains of the eight-hour movement against the looming threat of business closures and a housing market in decline.
- Fire Chief Faces Ouster Over Citizenship Claim
A political feud within the Seattle Fire Department takes a turn as a rejected applicant accuses the Chief of being an alien.
- The Carpenter Who Went to Jail on Principle
A local carpenter faces jail time after refusing to pay a poll tax, equating his plight to the political climate of Tsarist Russia.
- The Shadow Government of the Rails
Speculation mounts over whether the new Northern Pacific president will continue the company's heavy-handed influence on state politics.
- A Reunited Family After Decades of Gold Rush Separation
A husband who left for the California gold fields in 1849 finally reunites with his wife and family in Seattle.
- Homeowner Battles City Over Street Ditch
W. H. Gleason sues the City of Seattle for $1,000, claiming a city-sanctioned ditch blocked access to his Washington Street rentals.
- Arson Suspected at the People's Theater
A suspicious fire destroys stage scenery at the People's Theater, causing $700 in damage, with staff claiming the blaze was intentionally set.
- City Declines Responsibility for Injured Man in Saloon Brawl
A man with a broken leg from a tavern brawl was left in limbo after the City Health Officer ruled the city was not responsible for the hospital care of indigent non-prisoners.
- A Local Politician Vouching for Cabinet Nominee Hoke Smith
Seattle figure James Hamilton Lewis intervenes to defend a controversial presidential cabinet appointee from accusations of being a 'railroad underservant'.
- The Flour Price Plunge
Washington millers slash prices as the local wheat market faces blockade-related distribution issues.
- The Slaughterhouse Tragedy
A young worker’s mental health decline is met with the blunt reality of institutionalization.
- The Water Works Cash Scandal
A former water superintendent admits to using bill funds to cover mysterious cash shortages, triggering an explosive office row.